Lisa Beznosiuk shows us the flute she is playing in Bruckner’s 6th Symphony.
Hear it this Friday at the Royal Festival Hall, London:
Sir Simon Rattle conducts Bruckner
Read MoreOur Principal Flute, Lisa Beznosiuk, tell us what she’s most looking forward to in our new season of concerts, which starts on 9 October at the Queen Elizabeth Hall.
Read MoreAll of us at the OAE were very sad to hear the news of Emeritus Conductor Franz Brüggen, who passed away at the age of 79 earlier this week – a conductor who has had an association with the OAE almost since the Orchestra’s inception.
Read MoreIt’s that time of year again, when we reveal our ‘look’ for the new season. You might have seen a few things that hinted at our forthcoming brochure, most notably our recent video showing it on the printing presses, but here for the first time we can reveal the full set of pictures.
Read MoreThis Wednesday, 25 April, saw us at the Queen Elizabeth Hall performing an all-Bach concert, with soloist Ian Bostridge and director Steven Devine. What anyone who was at the concert will have realised though was that Ian was not the only soloist, with the Brandenburg Concerto No.4 and also the Cantata Ich habe genug also having substatial solo parts (aside from the voice, in the case of the Cantata).
Read MoreMembers of the Orchestra are currently in Modena, Italy – we’re there with the London Sinfonnietta, giving a performance of Heiner Goebbels’ Songs of Wars I have Seen. Principal Flute Lisa Beznosiuk tells us about their evening:
“We’re in elegant boiling hot Modena, arrived last night.
Last night four of us (Netty, Chi-chi and Shelagh Sutherland ..) walked to one of Pavlo’s (Lisa’s brother) recommended restaurants in Modena and it was excellent…Especially when the young curly haired waiter found out we were musicians. He became very excited, rushed off and came back with a Stentor violin in a big padded case (like the ones you see kids carrying). He’s desperate to learn the violin and had never had a lesson.
So, having finished our steaks, we got it out… all played him a tune. Netty – The Irish Washerwoman, Chi-chi played Campdown Races, I had a go at O Sole Mio and Shelagh achieved a high distinction with her rendition of Mason’s Apron.
Then, to his delight, Netty gave him his first lesson right there in the restaurant in front of us (most people were eating outside). He was SO thrilled and had a wonderful smile on his face as he began producing sounds on his violin. We’ve got photos. He asked if he and his friend could come to our rehearsal today – he can’t make the concert because of waiting in the restaurant.
I had an idea that we should tell musicians (especially violinists) to go and eat there when visiting Modena and give him the odd lesson!”
Read MoreViola player Annette Isserliss concludes her US tour diary:
Thurs 17th
Awoke wondering how on earth the OAE homeward travellers (the players who weren’t staying on for the Heiner Goebbel’s concert) had managed to rouse themselves to leave at 6.00 am! Took the subway (with viola in tow) to meet cousin Judy in Chelsea, and after a guided tour of some of the finer architectural sights, we climbed up onto the High Walk: converted from an old railway on an overpass to a garden walk with views of Chelsea Harbour with Hoboken,New Jersey beyond, on one side, and interesting city glimpses on the other. Although botanically at this time of year it was confined to almost-budding saplings and crocuses (crocii??) it was exceedingly pleasant in the mellow sunshine. As we approached a bench with a be-hatted native simultaneously basking and scribbling, it looked up, and turned out to be fello viola Nick Logie! He was staying in NY a bit longer, not only for the sponsors’ reception that evening, but because his eldest son Sascha is currently working in NY for the UN.
Read MoreIn our latest video ahead of our concerts of Mahler, Wagner and Liszt this week we speak to our Principal Flute, Lis Beznosiuk. She talks about which flutes she is using for the concert, a task made difficult by the quite wide period of time (and hence flute-evolution) that the music spans, and also about why she loves Mahler so much.
Read MoreToday we have Lisa Beznosiuk, flute
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